Manna Family,
It’s been a beautiful start to the Spring season, and I’m truly excited for what God has in store for us this April. We’ll be wrapping up our Abide sermon series during the first two Sundays of the month, and it’s been a blessing hearing the stories of life change as a result of this seven-week study through 1 John (God’s Word never fails to bring change!). On April 20th, we’ll celebrate Easter as a church community, so start praying now about who you can invite to this special gathering. We’ll have two services like usual, but we certainly anticipate a higher number of people in attendance. If you’re not yet on our SERVE Team, jump in soon to help us make Easter a transformational day for those who attend.
As we get closer to completing our new building renovations, continue to pray for the additional funds needed. Pray we come in under budget on the overall project, pray that more people begin to step out in faith and tithe monthly, and pray that those who have yet to give to the building fund feel led to give a sacrificial gift to this momentous occasion in the life of our church. God is taking incredible care of us at Manna Church. I’m so honored to be your pastor.
Praying for you,
Chris Shinnick
Mark Your Calendars
LOVE GOD
Over 50 people showed up to support the seventeen who were baptized on March 30th at Lincoln Park! This marks the largest outdoor water baptism for Manna Church to date! Thank you for coming out to show your support for those who participated. We encourage everyone to continue to pray for the individuals who took this step of faith. The journey has just begun.
It all started in a garden. A lush atmosphere beaming with life and hope quickly took a turn for the worse. What was deemed as very good abruptly became both very sad and bad. Yet a seed of promise was planted. This seed would germinate for years to come, and in a future garden, this seed would both grow and overcome. New life would be born, and access to the original garden’s intent would be restored. This is a tale of the gardens… this is the story of Easter.
Join us on Easter Sunday at 9 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. We encourage you to invite a friend! Click the link below to download and share a digital invite.
Manna Kids
Rally fishing day! Our 4th/5th-grade rally class and families gathered in March for a fun fishing day! Everybody had a great time and enjoyed the fellowship, sunshine, and beautiful setting. Memories were made, and relationships were deepened, and we pray they have many more of these outings in the future. Even our youngest kids are moving from “rows to o’s,” deepening relationships in their small groups! Big thanks to the Clark family for sharing their beautiful property!
Want to follow along at home with what we learn in Manna Kids? Click the link below for this month’s curriculum. You can also learn more about The Loop Show (4th/5th), KonnectHQ (K-3), and Bible Adventure (Nursery/Preschool) and find valuable parent resources.
Love Each Other
Growth Track
Rest, rejoice, and renew this resurrection season! Growth Track will pause for April. We are looking forward to resuming our small groups beginning in May!
Small Groups
We believe that life change happens in the context of relationships. Community is essential to become who God has called you to be. Small Groups are the best environment to discover, develop, and deploy into your God-given purpose. With various types of groups, we’ve certainly got a place for you!
If you’re a man looking for an easy way to connect with other men, check out our Men’s Rec Group led by Trevor Dell. They connect through camping, shooting, river floats, cookouts, etc. It’s an excellent opportunity to enjoy some fellowship and build friendships while having fun. Sign up on our website and join them for their next event, Overnight camping, May 9-10.
Manna Stu
Are you a middle school or high school student looking for community? Manna STU would love to have you come hang with us on Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. at 703 Powell Rd Niceville. We’ll save a seat for you!
What’s Happening in Manna Stu:
April 2nd – Prayer and Worship Night
April 9th – GAME NIGHT!
April 16th – Randall Miller leads large group
April 23rd – STU leader choice
April 30th – Randall Miller leads large group
***STU campers, have you filled out your waiver? Click the link below. You’ll need this information to complete your form. Click the link below***
Manna Church
91636
Denisha.Watson@manna.church
Love The World
Outreach
“We all know that a sentence includes two parts: a subject and a verb. Every sentence has to have a subject and a verb. So, if the whole Bible were a sentence, who would the subject be? Jesus, of course. Now, if the whole Bible is a sentence, and Jesus is the subject, what then, is the verb? At Manna we believe the verb of the Bible is ‘give’. When we GIVE, we crucify self, act like God, and set ourselves up to be blessed by Him in powerful and unexpected ways.” – NextStep Week 4
So why do we bring this up? In a society running on busy, full schedules, we must never forget that the verb of the Bible is ‘give’. Last month multiple stories came through the outreach team expressing how Manna members gave their time, talents, and even their treasures to advance the Kingdom of God on Earth. Those individuals were fueled by the truth of John 3:16 and listened to God calling them to give in a way that displayed the Gospel to those around them.
As we look to the Cross this month, we see what God GAVE. Let us spend time in prayer seeking where He is calling us to give of ourselves. Is God asking you to join an outreach or serve your neighbor? Whatever he calls you to in this season, may it be driven by the redemption you feel when you hear how GOD GAVE His one and only son so that whoever would believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Would you like to SERVE someone in your Oikos (sphere of influence) but require some assistance with financial resources? Fill out the form below, and a outreach team member will personally connect with you to equip you!
Missions
March was a great month for many involved with Missions! We started the month with Gather25, a virtual Gathering of the global church, some participated from home, in small groups, and together. The words of encouragement and messages from around the globe were inspiring and it was so encouraging to see that the Great Commission, God’s command to reach every tribe and every people group with the gospel of Christ, is coming closer and closer to fruition!
On March 8, Drew Margulis was able to be in India to celebrate graduation with one of our partners, Nirikshea (a Heart of the Bride ministry). It was very encouraging for them to know that their great achievements were being celebrated by people near and far.
On March 19, Sheresa Waller left for Kenya to support another Heart of the Bride Ministry, the Eagles Christian Academy. This is her second visit with them and while she gets to participate in a variety of activities within their ministry, her heart is focused on teaching the girls self defense strategies.
We ended the month with a prayer event, One Miracle Night, where we were able to hear powerful stories about how the Holy Spirit is moving throughout the middle east and bringing many Muslims to Christ through dreams and visions.
